Representative’s acknowledgement will end discrimination against atheists

The American Humanist Association applauded Rep. Pete Stark for publicly acknowledging he does not believe in a supreme being. The declaration, it said, makes him the highest-ranking elected official – and first congressman – to proclaim to be an atheist.Stark’s spiritual inclinations were sought by the Secular Coalition for America, an association of eight atheist and humanist groups, which offered a $1,000 prize to the person who could identify the “highest level atheist, agnostic, humanist or any other kind of nontheist currently holding elected public office in the United States.”

Fred Edwords, a spokesman for the American Humanist Association, told the Los Angeles Times that he hopes Stark’s identification will end discrimination against atheists. Read articles on SFGate.com and ABC News.